“You’re kidding! You didn’t rat out your supervisor?”
Devin shrugged. “What would have been the point? The working environment was pretty unbearable by then. I heard later from a former colleague that Lana got canned after she blew it again and didn’t have me to step in to fix her mess. Karma’s a bitch.”
“I’ll say, and obviously the position with Walton has been a positive move for you. So everything worked out in the end.”
“I’ve enjoyed the challenge of politics, but I do miss my first love. Art.”
His lips trailed down the skin at her nape. “Who was he? A little boy who ate paste and pulled your ponytails?”
“Aren’t you hilarious?” Closing her eyes, she shifted to give him better access to the pulse beating wildly at the side of her neck.
His tongue dipped into a vulnerable spot then traced along her collarbone. “So, do you want to go back to working in a museum?”
Holding in a shiver at his touch, she steadied her voice. “I’ve been thinking about it, but right this minute a career move isn’t my top priority.” She twisted to look up at him, wondering if he could feel her heart beating double-time. “I think we’ve talked enough for one evening, don’t you?”
He nodded then cupped the back of her head to kiss her, a long, slow, drugging caress. When they came up for air, he smiled, a flash of white in the dark. “Good thing since I’m past speaking in coherent sentences, and I don’t want you to think I’m just another pretty face.”
“Your face is certainly gorgeous.” She stroked the rough stubble on his cheeks then ran her thumb across his bottom lip. Turning completely around in his arms, she straddled his lap. The hard bulge beneath his sweatpants pressed against the thin protection of her panties. Clenching her teeth, she fought for control as a flood of sensation threatened to drown her. “Oh. My. God.” Her voice was a whisper in the night.
“You realize I’m right on the edge here.” He sounded like he was in pain.
“Me, too.”
“Are we going to…”
Her nod was quick and sure. “We are. Immediately. Pants off.”
“Good thing I like a take-charge woman.” His low laugh rolled over her like a gentle wave before he flipped her onto her back and leaned down to kiss her. “But for our first time, I want to slow things down a bit.”
“I don’t know if I can wait.” She buried her fingers in his hair and pulled him close for another kiss.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
A smile quivered on her lips. “I bet you will.”
Big hands slid her T-shirt up and off then returned to mold her breasts. “No penguins tonight?”
Her smile grew. “I had a feeling you’d be keeping me warm. An understatement since I may incinerate at any moment.” She fought for breath as he replaced his hands with his mouth. “Oh, my.”
“You like?” His tongue caressed a hard nub.
“Ummm, Sawyer, please…” She opened her eyes to stare into his in the flickering light from the campfire outside. They shone with a hint of desperation in the dim light.
“Okay.” He sat up to rip his shirt off over his head. While she struggled out of her panties, he lifted his hips to tug down his sweatpants. They hit the tent wall before he dropped down to cuddle her close, bare skin sliding against bare skin as he pushed between her legs, hot and hard and…he jerked back. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Her heart beat so fast she could barely breathe.
“I don’t have any protection.” He ran a hand through his hair then let out a lengthy gust of air. “I really am an idiot. IQ of a stump.”
“The fact that you’re putting my safety before your own needs is a huge turn-on. Highly intelligent.”
“Tell that to my blue balls.”
She smoothed her fingers over the hard contours of his chest and smiled. “I don’t have to. No worries in that department because I’m on the pill.”
“You are?”
She nodded. “Not because I jump in and out of bed with a bunch of men, mind you, because I don’t.” She bit her lip.
“Hey, I didn’t think that.”
“Even though we’re here, doing this, after knowing each other for three whole days?”
“Even though.” He stroked the hair back from her face. “Just so you know…I don’t bed-hop either.” He lay back down and gathered her close. “I think it’s been at least four months since my last relationship, which is why I didn’t come prepared.”
“In that case…” She paused to kiss his neck. “Are we good to go?”
“More than good. Jesus, Devin, being with you is sheer heaven.”
Their lips met and clung. Her heart pounded, and a film of perspiration slicked every inch of bare skin, hers and his. When she was positive she wouldn’t survive another minute without the connection her body craved with a dull, throbbing ache, he sank deep inside her. Breaths melding, bodies moving in rhythm to a tempo of their own, they drove together to the ultimate pinnacle…and toppled into space.
When he finally rolled off her onto his side, she drew oxygen into starved lungs and wondered how long she’d been holding her breath. “Wow.”
“Oh, yeah.” His thumb gently stroked the curve of her cheek. “That may have made up for four months of celibacy. And then some.”
She pressed a hand to her lips to keep from laughing out loud. “I guess you’re good for four more, then.”
“Hardly.” Wrapping his arms around her and tucking her against his chest, he settled his chin atop her head. “I might not even last four hours.”
Her nose pressed against one hard pec as she inhaled the musky scent of sex. “Are you staying here tonight?”
“Do you mind?”
“I’d be kind of bummed if you left, but won’t the others know we’ve, uh, hooked up if you aren’t asleep by the fire in the morning?”
He shook his head. “I’m always the first one up, so no one will have a clue.”
“Good. Maybe you could flip the sleeping bag over us. Between sweaty skin and cool air…”
“Right.” He reached down to draw up the bag. “Better?”
She nodded and relaxed against him. Eyes drifting closed, she luxuriated in complete satisfaction. “I’m not sure three more nights together is going to be enough.”
“Huh?” The hand stroking her back paused.
“Only two more evenings on the river and then hotel rooms in Salmon at the end of the trip. We fly back to Washington out of Boise mid-day on Friday.”
“I have a trip in Oregon scheduled next week, but I’ll have a few days off in between. Maybe you could—”
“I’d planned to visit my parents over the weekend, and Walton’s schedule is pretty full starting Monday.”
“Well, damn.”
She let out a long sigh. “Our lives don’t exactly mesh.”
“So, what? We go our separate ways with a kiss and a smile?” His voice was rough with emotion…and a hint of irritation.
She pushed back a few inches to look up at him. “What